The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-11-24
whose loOls attracted me greatly.

) Hannsh 7 We thought yon woald not
aud Ruth plays my Accomplishments $,
! we'll We always play together now
: bad been so long away from the ol,
! home that bad fallen out Of the knowl'
edge OF the yoang peoples friends; bal
/ from Ruth's looks was glad she might b.
} one OF them, whoever she might be.
The violin master came. and the lessor
gave me intense pleasure. Ruth's sccom
paniment was perfect; aud as the yiolir
J was being carefully wiped and restored Il
! its case begged her to play me some
thing-any thing whatever she loved
, best Mendelssohn for choice il she would
, 0De after another she played my best low
ed old friends, and turned impatiently
when the footman opened the door and
said gentleman had called for the young
lady with Miss Grey
My nncie," said Ruth apologeiically,
"Pray ask him to come in, / said, and
the next moment Mike stood once more
before me. He bowed little shyly, and
|, With my back to the window. stood
spellbound and silent.
Yes, it was Mike huge. winsome Mike
and must greet him as best might.
"Mr Vivian, / faltered, Il Il had no
idea it was you
Hannah !" he shouted; miss Grey !
Why, | was sent TO Miss Sinclairs' !
Have come to the wrong house p
The yonng people flew to him open
mouthed about this wonderful thing, aud
cbatterod, mercifully TO me, till had re-
covered my balance little.
From time to time felt his eye upon
me, and grew trihe hot and angry under
it. Why should he look at me In that
way He had been married for years, and
I-well, had settled into my old maid
ways -and had "got over it, as the say.
ing goes.
| As il we ever lost "the marks of that
which once has been,
As they all trooped out together, be
turned back at the door. and grasping my
hand tightly said "why did you say mot
at home nine long years ago ?"
Il didn't f. exclaimed Indignantly, in
stitled voice, you never came"
"Dldn l ?" he answered aud then he
was gone
That night slept not at all. Backward
and forward that refrain rang in my ears.
Didn't / ?" Didn't ?" Oh, Mike,
oh, faithful. hearted Mike, have / been
wronging you all these years Did you
come, did you ?--and never knew it and
now it is too late.
Does she love you wonder, as ] did
as do? God help me, must live it
down and crush it under foot, but for this
one night will allow myself the joy OF
knowing that be did come; the rest can
not even guess at.
Happy, miserable. restless and yet
soothed, came down the next morning
aud found / could not settle down to any
thing like business. The piano stood
where it had been placed the day before
for the girls, and after many vain efforts
to attend to writing which ought to have
been done wandered to it and sat down,
listlessly trying to Pick up the thread Of
all that childs sympathetic fingers had
done such full justice to; and as | played
my heart grew lighter, and by degrees my
Mendelsshons modulated Off into lighter
music, and found myself beating time to
that Waldteufel which had been dearer to
me than oil beside. How played it
threw my heart, my whole heart into it;
and as / came to the final chord / sudden
ly flung my arms upon my piano in front
of me and burst into such passion OF
weeping AS l never in all my life had Civ
en- way to. How long wept do not
know; but know that then and there /
prayed with all my might for strength to
root out, for good and all, this cruel, alb
sorbing, disgrsceful love, and rising with
one last stranged sob, and firm deter
mination that not another should escape
me now or ever again, | saw the door
opening quietly, and IN one moment Mike
had hold Of both my hands. In vain
tried to pull them away. They were
gently but firmly gripped, and his deai
voice spoke rapidly In agiiated loving
tones:
Don't speak; know what you think.
Let me speak first for the sake OF the dear
old times. Let me clear up matters first.
I am not the blackguard you think me-
God forbid. Sit down,and let me speak.
What could do but obey him | sat
lowu, aud as be spoke my heart leaped
and danced within me- TIL could have
shouted for Joy, and yet felt ashamed Of
!, : selieht. For had he not gone through
loen n a,ers, dear fellow. The poor, little,
riyolous childish wife had lived but one
rear, but had wroughr such bsyoc IN that
hort time tnat 1t were more charitable to
ell nothing Of it to any one who did not
,x.ay the miserable story already Peace
VIA her poor .tAing. need think Of :
Ssssge.
eaDs The exploration cf our own !
nsa a. Ee had gone straight from
,pseS5oss evening down to the
w, 70 see ny brother, and ar
al o'a AoN tasstion II was simple {
ge al that Ell
ough. -, avor,fuI
My good sister 10 : .s n s.s iI.s been ,rigbt.
orning nine years bel .ssa11ia \,
ed about oue OF her in.
"a the servants 10 admit
.Not for the young ladies, "a.
. NJ. uann.b p he butler ,so sL'di
"a she 10 all simplicity, poor onl' H''